#nge cinematography

[asurei-nisshoku]

neon genesis evangelion, episode 22: don't be (1996, dir. akira takamura)

強迫性, transl. obsessive compulsive

[samasmith23]

Evangelion: You Can (Not) Marathon — (Part 12)

Neon Genesis Evangelion, “Episode 12: The Value of a Miracle is.../She Said, 'Don’t Make Others Suffer for Your Personal Hatred.'”

Continuing my Evangelion re-watch marathon with NGE, “Episode 12: The Value of a Miracle is…/She Said, ‘Don’t Make Others Suffer for Your Personal Hatred..’” For my thoughts on the previous episode, click the link to the post below:

With that out of the way, let's dig in!

Dang! What a perfect way to start this episode! After the theme song we immediately cut to a flashback set 15-years prior to the start of the series, going back to the year 2000 where we witness the first-hand experiences and memories of a young Misato Katsuragi, who was in Antarctica during the events of the Second Impact! There’s just so much to unpack with this opening prologue!

For starters, the cinematography on display here is FREAKING phenomenal! For instance, following a series of time-stamp cards (utilizing white text in the center of an otherwise empty black background; which is a reoccurring visual motif throughout NGE), the camera then cuts to a view of the planet Earth from outer space. As the camera slowly pans across the surface of the moon, we quickly see a tiny white flash of light emitting from the Earth’s South Pole. This effectively communicates the sheer size and destructive scale of the Second Impact, since even though it appears to be a tiny speck of light when viewed faraway on the moon, it shows that the energy generated by the awakening of the 1st Angel, Adam, was so massive that it was visible from space.

Additionally, this prologue also provides crucial context to both Misato’s backstory as well as her motivations in the present-day which will be heavily explored throughout the rest of the episode. We see Misato’s father, completely battered & bloodied, desperately carrying his similarly injured daughter as he limps towards a capsule which bears a striking resemblance to the Entry-Plugs that the EVA Units use. Once young Misato is placed within the Entry-Plug, she regains consciousness and can’t help appear confused as she looks up to see her father standing over her before he closes the capsule and shields it with his body as Adam generates the massive Anti-A.T. Field which completely obliterates the entire Antarctic Continent. 

The fact that Misato seems to question the idea of her father saving her helps convey to the viewer that these two have some kind of strained relationship. It’s not explicitly stated outright, but the implication is effectively communicated through both Misato’s dazed and confused facial expressions, as well as her line, “Is that you, Dad?” 

It’s once again a perfect example of how Evangelion is able to communicate so much through so little! Master-class storytelling and characterization!

This flashback not only allows us to witness the sheer scale & terror of the Second Impact from both an orbital and ground-level perspective, seeing the Adam’s gigantic Angel wings spreading out wide and breaking through Earth’s stratosphere as well as Misato looking up towards said-wings as her Entry-Plug aimlessly floats across the lifeless ocean where Antarctica was once located, but also portrays how this traumatic event completely reshapes Misato’s life in the present-day. 

Immediately after the prologue, the scene then cuts to a now adult Misato putting on her bra as she stands in front of her closet mirror, allowing the viewer to see the massive scar which stretches across her chest (which was previously revealed during the hot springs scene back in Episode 10). This visually communicates the lasting physical damage that the near-apocalypse left on Misato, whereas the deep-seated psychological scares are audibly conveyed through the sound of a thunderstorm outside her bedroom, as Misato sternly stares at the mirror while a flash of lighting disappeared over her cross necklace that’s resting the nearby nightstand, further symbolizing the conflicted relationship that Misato has with her dead father (whom we now know was the one who gave her that necklace during the Second Impact).

Overall, these two opening scenes do an incredibly effective job at setting up the main conflict for this episode, which centers around Misato’s childhood trauma associated with both her deceased father and the Angels!

I’m curious as to why Toji & Kensuke came over to Misato’s apartment during the middle of a rainstorm? Maybe they were coming over to accompany Shinji as they walk to school together like in previous episodes? If so… I hope at least one of them has an umbrella…

Yeesh! Asuka might be an obnoxious brat, but Toji insulting her by comparing her changing clothes behind a curtain to “a snake changing its skin” is just dickish and rather sexist on his part!

Huh… Misato exited her bedroom wearing her NERV Uniform instead of her casual tank-top and short-shorts, and is acting much more serious than she usually does within the confines of her own home. This honestly reminds me a lot of when she first appeared to Shinji wearing a military uniform before attending the “Old Tokyo” conference back in Episode 7.

I love how Kensuke is the first person to notice the new pin on Misato’s neck-collar which indicates her recent promotion from captain to major. It’s perfectly in-line with Kensuke’s characterization as a geeky military otaku!

Also, while I do rightfully rag on Kensuke and (especially) Toji’s sexist behavior towards Asuka, I can’t help but admire that Kensuke is frequently portrayed as being more observant than most people give him credit for. Just how he pointed out to Shinji in Episode 7 that Misato acted more slobbish in front of him than others because she considered him to be a part of her family, Kensuke here notes that Misato is placing a heavily workload on herself, struggling to balance her duties as a commanding officer at NERV and being a surrogate guardian to Shinji & Asuka, and even chastises the latter two for failing to notice.

Kensuke’s observation here is also reflective of the show’s overarching themes about the struggles of human connections, and how when we fail to pay attention to and understand each other’s thoughts and desires, it’s therefore difficult to form meaningful bonds with other people. A self-perpetuating cycle of isolation and loneliness. A true Hedgehog’s Dilemma…

I love the interaction between Misato, Ritsuko, Maya and this one nameless NERV employee as they’re conducting harmonics synchronization ratio tests for the three EVA Pilots. Ritsuko & Maya notice that Shinji’s synch ratio is increasing at a faster rate than normal, which leads to the aforementioned nameless scientist stating that, “It’s almost like Shinji was born to be an EVA Pilot.” And Misato can’t help but object to that statement, proclaiming, “But that’s not what Shinji wants. I know he’s not really happy here.”

While this again illustrates Misato’s legitimate concern for the physical and mental well-being of Shinji that was heavily explored in previous episodes, it also neatly contrasts with Misato’s willingness to put the EVA Pilot’s lives at risks in order to destroy the Angels by any means necessary. An opposing desire which was previously alluded to during Asuka’s fight with Sandalphon inside the middle of volcano during Episode 10, but will serve as the primary thematic focus here in Episode 12!

Also, I like how when Ristuko specifies that Shinji’s synch-ratio is rapidly catching up with Asuka’s, Asuka puts on her usual smug demeanor of talking down by stating, “Enjoy your victory while it lasts Third Child,” and condescendingly calls him a jerk-face when Shinji’s clearly not moved by her previous comment. Even though it’s all a facade to mask her own internalized sense of inferiority, Asuka is able to present herself as being cool & collected while also acting smug & condescending.

The car-ride scene which immediately proceeds the synch-ratio test is incredibly fascinating. Not only does Misato state that she’s, “Not too thrilled,” about her promotion to Major, but when Shinji states that he feels the same way for the praise he received earlier for his high synch scores due to being insulted by Asuka as a result. This leads to Misato stating that Asuka’s insults bother him simply because, “[He] cares too much about what others think of him.”

I’m of two minds when it comes to Misato’s comment here. On the one hand it feels like a rather condescending retort to Shinji’s feelings of discomfort. But on the other hand Misato’s words are pretty insightful in regards to how people can sometimes obsess and worry too much about how they are perceived by others. While it’s perfectly rational, and even necessary, to care about what other people think of you since it can improve your own behavior and interactions with others, dwelling too much about said-concerns can generate so much anxiety that it results in stunted relationships and personal growth. 

It’s honestly something that I can personally relate to as an individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who struggles with anxiety…

Lol! Kensuke once again continues to be such a military otaku, secretly arranging a surprise party at Misato’s apartment to celebrate her promotion.

However, despite what I said earlier Kensuke still has his shortcomings when it comes to keenly observing the behavior of others, as he didn’t seem to notice that Misato is trying to suppress her feelings of discomfort and embarrassment while feigning excitement, something that Shinji immediately detects given that he feels the exact same way she does when being praised by others. They really are two peas in a pod!

I love this quiet interaction between Shinji & Misato at the party while everyone else is laughing and arguing over each other, as it nicely juxtaposes the previous car-ride conversation. While Misato is a lot older and wiser than Shinji in many respects, she simultaneously struggles with the same feelings of self-loathing and loneliness that he does. Even though Misato tries to present herself as being all put together and having the answers to Shinji’s problems, said-display is also partially a performance to mask her own insecurities in front him. This kind of behavior is reflective of how parents sometimes interact with their children, trying to present themselves as perfect role models who can provide all the answers for their kids, when in reality parents are still human beings with flaws and limitations.

Misato’s display of parental strength and masking of human weakness is further conveyed through her response to Shinji asking her why she joined NERV, replying that, “It’s been so long I can’t remember.” Shinji’s smart enough to know that’s a lie and that Misato is clearly hiding the true reason.

Also, this scene briefly fleshes out Asuka & Hikari’s friendship, as not only did Asuka invite her to the party without Kensuke or Toji’s knowledge, but Hikari is shown to harbor a similar crush towards Kaji just like Asuka.

Also also, the way Asuka refers to Kaji as a “real man” in contrast to Shinji, Kensuke, & Toji further highlights how Asuka places herself on this false pedestal of maturity and emasculates the three boys as mere children who are beneath her.

Also also also, we get a little bit more of Kaji’s problematic behavior towards women (though thankfully far less skevy than the elevator scene from Episode 9), as he makes a kind of misogynistic micro-aggressive comment that’s supposed to come off as playful and flirty, stating that he now, “needs to show [Misato] respect,” due to both her promotion and being left in charge of NERV HQ while Gendo & Fuyutski are out of the country.

Speaking of which… oh boy, the scene where Gendo & Fuyutski are commanding a UN naval fleet to retrieve a certain object from the desolate and lifeless red sea where the continent of Antarctica was previously located! 

I’ve always loved the ominous and chilling (accidental pun, lol!) tone of this scene! Not only do we see the direct and immediate results of Second Impact on full-display here at Ground Zero of the event, with nothing but giant icicles emerging from the depths of the ocean that has been transformed into a pink/blood-red hue which Fuyutski describes as being, “A true Dead Sea where no life can exist,” but it also provides some keen insight into Gendo’s true motivations.

Although Fuyutski despairs at the sight of this post-apocalyptic wasteland and it being the result of humanity’s folly and hubris, Gendo boasts about how its thanks to humanity’s scientific knowledge and advancements that they are able to return to this desolate Hellscape triumphantly. 

This exchange between the two presents an opposing dichotomy in Fuyutski & Gendo’s respective ideologies. On the one hand, Fuyutski rightfully lambasts humanity’s over-reliance on technology & pursuit of power being the direct cause of the Second Impact, stating that he’d rather have other people around him than all of this scientific progress. This functions as a brilliant continuation of the themes proposed by the previous Episode during the Tokyo-3 blackout, directly connecting humanity’s current depressing and authoritarian status to the near-apocalypse that was caused by the reckless pursuit of power under the vein of scientific progress.

But on the other hand, Gendo continues to dismiss Fuyutsuki’s arguments by elevating said-scientific power as the ultimate savior of humanity despite it nearly causing their extinction 15-years ago, even going as far as to describe the Second Impact as, “the cleansing of the original sin.” 

Not only does this line foreshadow the true nature behind Adam & Lilith’s origins as well as the Third Impact & Human Instrumentality during The End of Evangelion, but it also conveys Gendo’s god-complex and desire to be the one who ultimately leads the course of humanity’s future in order to fulfill his own selfish desires that become the major driving force of his conflict with SEELE for the rest of the series!

Also, Gendo’s theocratic doomsday rhetoric here is sadly perfectly in-line with the kinds of beliefs held by the Republican Party and the Evangelical Right who are currently trying to actively transform the United Stares into a Christian fascist theocracy.

Maybe that’s another reason why I hate Gendo Ikari so much… ya know, aside from, him being both the WORST father in the history of fiction and a total sleaze-bag. It’s because he’s such a human villain who could sadly easily exist here in the real world…

On a much more lightheaded and snarkier note though, if the ruins of Antarctica are the “real Dead Sea” like Fuyutsuki describes, does that therefore mean that the water here is even more salty than the actual real-life Dead Sea in Jordan (whose water is already much saltier than the ocean)? 

And just as Gendo & Fuyutsuki their philosophical debate over humanity’s right to exist, the UN fleet gets a radio transmission from NERV HQ back in Japan detecting the largest Angel ever depicted in all of NGE, the 10th Angel, Sahaquiel!

Like seriously… Sahaquiel completely dwarfs all the other Angels seen so far and since throughout the course of this series! Appearing high above Earth’s orbit, this gargantuan monstrosity is to be massively large. Despite having a somewhat bizarre orange and gooey amoeba appearance, Sahaquiel not only spouts this gigantic cyclops eye in its center that’s about the height of a single Evangelion Unit, but also has a surface width that’s wide enough to cover multiple city blocks! 

Furthermore, Sahaquiel immediately demonstrates that despite Yoda’s famous words of wisdom from The Empire Strikes Back, sometimes size truly does matter considering that this Angel not only generates an A.T. Field large enough to completely obliterate nearby satellites in a single burst, but that it’s also able to detach and drop smaller pieces of itself which rapidly descend into Earth’s atmosphere and create enormous nuclear-level explosions and tidal waves upon impact!

And to make matters even worse, Sahaquiel also conveys how each successive Angel is smarter than its predecessors, as NERV HQ determined that Sahaquiel is testing and improving its trajectory as it continues to drop a trail of bombs from the Indian Ocean closer and closer to land as it makes its way over Tokyo-3. And according to Ritsuko & the Magi, the explosion generated by Sahaquiel’s bombs would be powerful enough to completely submerge all of Tokyo-3 back into the depths of the Pacific!

Also, in relation to this Angel’s name, according to Wikipedia, “Sahaquiel is listed as one of the seven great archangels in the Third Book of Enoch from the Apocrypha of the Hebrew Bible, described as, ‘the guardian of the fourth heaven ... prince of a heavenly host... attended by 496,000 myriads of minstering angels.’ Sahaquiel literally means Ingenuity of God.”

So in addition to Sahaquiel’s arrival and approach providing a real sense of peril and suspense, this particular Angel’s presence is also serves an important role in developing Misato’s character, since this is where her aforementioned opposing dichotomy between her roles as a surrogate-mother and duties as a military officer come into play! Despite the MAGI supercomputer system declaring an almost 0% chance of success for the EVA’s to defeat Sahaquiel, Misato uses her newfound promotion to not only order a full evacuation of Tokyo-3’s civilian population, but orders all 3 EVA Units to directly engage Sahaquiel as both its bombs and the Angel itself descend upon the city!

While Misato tries to justify her actions as being both within her authority as Major and her having “trust in the EVAs,” Ritsuko criticizes the former’s recklessness and seeming lack of concern for the pilot’s safety in this situation, even responding to Misato’s claims that she’s doing what she has to do and that destroying the Angels is her duty with, “Your duty? You must be kidding! This is to satisfy yourself, isn’t it? This is just your revenge against the Angels!”

Also, this heated exchange between Ritsuko & Misato shows the beginnings of he growing rift in their friendship which will only continue to increase as the series progresses!

Oh boy! It’s time for another insane yet creative battle strategy to defeat the Angels, and I’ve got to say this new strategy that Misato has devised might be the craziest and most risky one yet! And considering that we’ve previously seen the Evangelions fire a sniper rifle that’s powered by Japan’s entire power grid, going fishing with an EVA while deliberately sinking two battleships to aim missiles into an Angel’s mouth, using Dance Dance Revolution to train for a fight against asexually-reproducing Angel, and even scuba-diving into an active volcano to retrieve an unmatched Angel egg, that’s really saying something!

So get this… in order to defeat Sahaquiel, all 3 EVA Units will be forced to run towards the designated drop-zone in Tokyo-3 and combine their A.T. Field’s together in order to halt Sahaquiel’s fall and pierce through the Angel’s own A.T. Field, essentially catching the Angel with the EVA’s barehands and destroying its core through direct contact.

Like… this plan is riddled with so many variables that can go wrong and has such a nano-margin of success, that Asuka & Shinji can’t help but accurately point out how easily this plan could fail and result in their deaths.

Also… geez! I know that Misato is trying to remain calm and stay optimistic in a stressful situation in order to not raise a panic, but it’s honestly a little creepy just how cheerful and unwatered she’s acting when the kids are understandably concerned about dying in this mission. She even mentions how the EVA Pilots are supposed to write a will for themselves, and she says it all with a smile on her face. There’s being hopeful in a stressful situation, but this is really pushing it! 

Misato took Batman’s words of being “positively grim” from Justice League International way too literally…

Still though, I love how even though the kids act excited over the prospect of a steak dinner if they do manage succeed, as soon as Misato leaves the room Shinji & Asuka immediately shift gears are unimpressed with the idea of going out for steak as a reward. Asuka’s line mocking the standards of the Second Impact generation is absolutely hilarious!

And while this scene does provide some lighthearted humor in the face of impending destruction, it also reveals some more insight into Rei’s character, who declines to attend said-dinner because she hates eating meat. While Rei being a vegetarian might seem like a tangential detail, it’s actually another example of subtle foreshadowing to her true identity as the reincarnated soul of humanity’s progenitor Lilith (from whom animals also spawned from, which explains why Rei would not eat meat because that’d be like cannibalizing her own children).

Lol! The plan to defeat Sahaquiel is becoming even more outrageous since due to just how massive the Angel’s A.T. Field is, the 3 EVA-Units are going to be dispersed at 3 random points outside of the drop-zone area, based not on any data but a mere guess on Misato’s part!

Double lol! Shinji’s comment about Misato not being good at the lottery! Does he think that she’s “the Legendary Loser” Tsunade from Naruto or something?

Dang! This elevator ride scene is so iconic! Not only the visual imagery of the three EVA Pilots standing side-by-side to each other as they view their respective units also lined-up together outside the window, but also for the conversation between Shinji & Asuka questioning each other’s respective reasons for becoming an EVA Pilot, which as I said previously in my coverage of Episode 6 is a reoccurring motif throughout NGE!

When Shinji asks Asuka’s motivations for becoming a pilot, she responds that it’s, “To show the world how great I am,” to which Shinji deduces as her wanting to prove her own existence to others. Not only does this reaffirm Asuka’s superiority complex, but it also highlights that she and Shinji are two sides of the same coin, as both pilots utilize the Evangelions in order to validate their own self-worth and and gain recognition from the eyes of others. This was a conclusion that Misato pointed out in relation to Shinji back in Episodes 3 & 4, and something that Shinji himself previously questioned when he asked Rei why she piloted her EVA back in Episode 6, which she stated was because it was representative to her bond with all of humanity.

Speaking of which, when Asuka discovers that Shinji previously asked Rei the exact same question, she in-turn questions why Shinji pilots his EVA, to which he states that he, “doesn’t know,” inferring that he’s indecisive and still trying to discover what exactly his true purpose is for existing. Very insightful!

Also, that smug head-tilt and smile of Asuka’s! Classic!

Huh… even though Misato in this episode is portrayed as being far more reckless than before in relation to putting the pilot’s lives at risk, she not only suggests that the other NERV personnel evacuate HQ so that they’re not similarly burdened by her vendetta against the Angels, but Misato also points out that Evangelion’s A.T. Fields actually make the units the safest location for the pilots to be.

One could interpret this as either blind excuses or excessive optimism on Misato’s part, but it can also be read as Misato genuinely having faith in her plan and the pilot’s ability to successfully defeat the Angel. It once again brilliantly underscores that dichotomy between parental figure and military officer which heavily defines Misato’s character!

And it’s here, right before the impending fight with Sahaquiel, that we reach the apex of Misato’s arc in this episode! As Shinji’s sitting in Unit-01’s Entry-Plug awaiting orders, he thinks back to a previous conversation between him and Misato that occurred shortly after the celebration party. Overlooking the Tokyo-3 skyline, Misato finally answered Shinji’s question about why she joined NERV, revealing that as a child she always hated her father since he was a total workaholic who constantly obsessed over his career and avoided interacting with or getting too close his wife and daughter. Despite Misato’s negative feelings about her father being set in stone, she experienced a severe feeling of whiplash and confusion when her father sacrificed himself to save her during the Second Impact. Now conflicted over whether or not she hates or loves her father, Misato has made it her life’s goal to destroy all of the Angel’s in order either avenge her father’s death or to put her conflicted feelings about him to rest.

This flashback is incredibly important in regards to Misato’s overall characterization, as we are not only provided the first major details about her childhood and love/hate relationship with her father, but backstory also serves as the foundation for her present-day motivations as a major for NERV, explaining why she’s willing to go to such great lengths in order to destroy the Angels. Similar to the reoccurring question of, “Why do the kids pilot the EVAs,” Misato’s motivation for why she joined NERV plays a similar role in exposing how these characters seek to validate and find meaning in their own empty existences rather than for altruistic purposes like preventing humanity’s extinction at the hands of the Angels. 

I also love how similar to Shinji, Misato is also indecisive in her motivations for wanting to destroy the Angels, as she is conflicted on whether or not she’s doing so because she now loves her father and wants to avenge his death, or if it’s because she still hates him and simply wants to absolve herself of this confusing burden.

Furthermore, Misato’s hatred for her father not only perfectly parallels Shinji’s strained relationship with his own father, but Misato’s description of her father as,  “A weak person who didn’t want to to face reality and that avoiding his family was easier than dealing with it,” is also reflective of Gendo’s reasons for abandoning Shinji which will later be revealed in The End of Evangelion.

I also really appreciate Shinji’s responses to Misato’s confession during the flashback, as he not only realizes just how similar the two of them truly are, but because they are the same Shinji back in the present-day states with calm determination that he won’t fail in his mission. Similar to Rei back in Episode 6, Shinji is demonstrating that he is capable of putting aside his own selfish motivations for piloting the EVA if it means validating the existence of another person with experiences similar to his own.

And I especially love how the shot of Shinji’s determination is perfectly mirrors the animation from the “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” opening!

Man oh man is the battle with Sahaquiel another phenomenal banger of an Angel fight! For starters, sequence of each of the 3 EVA Units rapidly sprinting across the Tokyo-3 and Japanese countryside provide some of the most iconic & gorgeous animation and scenery presented in the series so far (seriously, I absolutely adore the shot of EVA Unit-01 jumping over the mountainside). The sheer weight and speed of the Evangelions as they each rush towards Sahaquiel’s drop-zone is simultaneously breathtaking and exhilarating, aided by triumphant yet foreboding soundtrack which increases the tension of reaching the Angel before it drops itself onto Tokyo-3!

And once Unit-01 reaches the drop-zone, the tension only continues to increase as the sky begins to glow purple and pink due to the rapidly increasing proximity of Sahaquiel’s A.T. Field, and the Angel’s cyclops eye eerily looming directly above as Shinji begins extending Unit-01’s own A.T. Field in order to counteract Sahaquiel’s field and halt it’s decent. And seeing Rei & Asuka’s units quickly come to Shinji’s aid as he rips open he Angel’s A.T. Field, allowing his and Rei’s Units to grab onto the Sahaquiel with their barehands while Asuka plunges her progressive-knife straight into the Angel’s core, killing it!

I absolutely love it! Yet another testament to Evangelion’s ability to create such uniquely inventive & thrilling mecha-on-kaju action scenes!

And seeing the plan actually succeed despite all odds going against them, I guess Misato truly is like Naruto’s Tsunade in that the only time she’s actually good at gambling is whenever she places her life on the line (or in this case, Shinji, Rei & Asuka’s lives)…

I do love how Misato not only shows a sincere heartfelt smile when she sees that Shinji. Rei & Asuka all survived their encounter with the Angel, but even accepts full accountability for her irresponsible behavior during this mission when NERV HQ is contacted by Gendo & Fuyutsuki.

And this “Sound Only” (EPIC FORESHADOWING!) transmission leads to another important scene where Gendo for the first time ever not only requests Shinji’s presence during the call, but even tells him, “Good work Shinji.” 

In addition to being one of the rare moments where Gendo displays genuine recognition and appreciation towards his son, those three simple words also instill Shinji with the false sense of hope that he might someday be able to truly reconcile with his father, therefore confirming his true reason for piloting the Evangelion.

That true reason being: to receive praise from others and in particular, from his father.

While Shinji describes this as the “positive aspect of being praised” which Misato referenced earlier in the episode, I still can’t help but think back to her previous words about Shinji caring too much about being praised since… well… the idea that he and his father might reconcile is a false hope… at least in the original NGE and The End of Evangelion timeline…

Also, that was a nice gesture of Asuka’s for once (if a bit condescending), to surprise Misato with a ramen shop instead of a fancy steak dinner to celebrate defeating Sahaquiel. Not only is she following Kensuke’s previous advice by paying attention to Misato’s workload and limited finances, but she even takes Rei’s vegetarianism into consideration! Some rare generosity on Asuka’s part!

So that was NGE “Episode 12: The Value of a Miracle is.../She Said, “Don’t Make Others Suffer for Your Personal Hatred,” and… holy FREAKING crap! 

Not only had I forgotten how phenomenal and tightly written this episode was, but upon rewatch and careful analysis, this might actually join the ranks of my personal favorite episodes from the series, right alongside Episodes 4, 10, 18, 19, 22 & 24! I originally thought of this episode exclusively as “the Misato-centric episode” since it focuses heavily on fleshing out her backstory and motivations. And while that is definitely true, I was incredibly impressed by how much care and attention was given to Shinji’s character development as well! In addition to further illustrating how Shinji is essentially a younger version of Misato, this episode further delves heavily into the reoccurring theme of the kids questioning their reasons for piloting the EVAs as a metaphor for self-discovery, while also highlighting some small glimmers of light in the otherwise nonexistent relationship between Shinji and his father Gendo. Additionally, Hideaki Anno and Studio GAINAX are on their absolute A-game in this episode, as the cinematography and animation for scenes like the Second Impact flashback prologue and the fight with Sahaquiel are breathtakingly top-notch! 

Overall, I adore the heck out of Episode 12 for both its deeply interwoven plotting and theming, as well as its character-driven storytelling focused primarily on two of the series best characters, Misato & Shinji! Next time it’s Episode 13!

[thekaijudude]

Ultraman Blazar Episode 1 First Thoughts

Ok, I can definitely see why TsuPro, FIELDS and Bandai kept stressing that they're very cautious of this series. The former 2 even outright stated that they'll immediately return to the standard New Gen if it fails.

I myself was thinking that "It can be THAT bad". And boy was I surprised indeed

This was the WEIRDEST first episode I've ever seen

Especially Blazar's primitive nature and horrendous sounding grunts throughout the fight scene

Considering its Taguchi, I actually went it with the belief that the first episode would start off strong, like Decker. But while there were some reasonable nods to ShinU, Taguchi tried too hard to emulate Anno's characteristic cinematography of demonstrating the idiosyncratic aspects of characters, specifically the one about Gento formulating a plan in his head. It dosent feel the same ngl. But then again, Anno is an absolute master at this, especially since its literally one of the iconic techniques of his that he used both in NGE and in the Shin movies

(If yall recall, Taguchi implied in a recent interview that he'd incorporate some aspects of ShinU into Blazar for those that missed it)

It honestly felt like a cheap knockoff cause while it did have the action, the shots lacked the iconic close-up angles Anno used to add to the characters' depth and sense of perspective.

And yeah the fight scenes. Gosh.

I don't even remember when I've ever seen an episode when it all goes downhill when the Ultra appears

As a ultra grunt connoisseur, this is literally an absolute nightmare. I thought I'd only hear the weird sounding grunts in rare instances from the PV, not literally constantly throughout the fight scene. This is literally worst than the X movie when human characters won't shut up during the fight scene. This time is the Ultra himself wut.

But I shall still hold my opinions on Blazar's primitive nature cause I honestly hope it actually adds to the story. However, coupled with the horrible sounding grunts, this is overall, a very bad experience. It was constant cringe throughout the fight scenes.

This is a real sticking point since the fight scenes are always the highlight of any episode for me

Honestly, I feel that Blazar's amazing design is "wasted" on such a grunt and plot settings for now

Really hope Taguchi knows what he's doing and it gets more interesting to watch from here on out (hard to do worse than this imo, it's such a weird experience)

I really hope the grunt is just something I need to get used to. I'm gonna rewatch the fight scenes a few times to try to acclimate myself in the meantime

At the very least, Vol 2 of First Mission drops in a few hours so that'll be a good enough therapy for me to recover from this horrible experience

[bertulis]

Dibaca dulu ya sebelum berteman sama aku, aku suka berteman sama orang yang apik dan tingkat literasinya tinggi! :]

Halo, namaku Chairil @PourTheKahve. Aku suka semua hal yang berkaitan dengan seni; tulisan, lukisan, lagu, tarian (terutama tradisional), permainan alat musik, kabaret, dan kawan-kawannya. Aku suka berbagi tulisanku (yang nggak seberapa itu) dari waktu ke waktu, aku sering berbagi karya yang aku temuin juga, aku sering nge-tweet kayak orang baru cerai dari cinta hatinya yang sudah menikah 17 tahun atau orang yang baru honeymoon ke maldives, dua-duanya aku bisa.

Aku ENFJ, kalau itu penting untuk kamu, dan aku kadang-kadang loyo kalau nggak banyak berinteraksi, aku anaknya agak clingy jadi harus sering diajak ngobrol. :] Aku sudah lama melewati umur legal (18), umurku sekarang berkepala 2, jadi aku harap teman-teman yang umurnya belum mencapai 18 tahun nggak meninggalkan jejak, ya, aku lebih nyaman begitu.

Aku suka kucing. :] Aku punya kucing. Aku suka hewan, aku harap kalian nggak masalah sama video dan foto-foto hewan yang akan aku post ke depannya, aku harap juga kalian nggak masalah melihat foto yang aku ambil seliweran, aku suka fotografi! Selain itu, aku juga suka ngobrol personal lewat direct message, jadi jangan risih kalau aku DM, ya! :] Aku baik beneran.

Genre lagu favoritku:

• Lagu yang buat kamu kayak orang lagi jatuh cinta

• Lagu yang buat kamu ingat kampung halaman dan mau main futsal sama anak-anak SMP

• Lagu yang bikin kamu ingat sama bali

Genre film favoritku

• Romance-comedy

• Indonesian film (any genre, preferably one with good cinematography)

• Udah

3 ciri-ciri orang yang aku kurang suka jadikan kawan:

• Yang nggak suka sama aku

• Di bawah 18 tahun

• Nirliterasi

• Yang nggak bisa menghargai lawan bicara

• Zionist!

[godotdotdot]

never will i ever cease loving eva's paralleling cinematography. both within NGE and ESPECIALLY cross-comparing NGE x Rebuilds, my fav part is seeing how events line up even when the maintext surface lvl shit is so outlandishly different

So… praise me. Recognize me! Give me somewhere I belong!

The truth is that I’m lonely. I just want… someone to pat me on my head.

[hentaiibaka]

Evangelion 2.22

[ssighhhh]

the beauty of evangelion

[flowersandfilms]

Meows. ANYWAYS HELLO INTRO POST!!! My name is May! i like Jjba, csm, nge, berserk, danganronpa (specifically sdr2), madoka magica, and innocent. My special interests are film/cinematography and flower language! Im a major reader and love manga bc i love admiring art and stuff like that. a few of my top kins are: Hajime Hinata, Johnny Joestar, and Aki Hayakawa 🫶.

On this account im mainly going to be posting fanfics of a few of my fav pairings (ex Fugio, Jolymes, Komahina, Gyjo, Akiangel, Yasugap, etc!) and also a few film reviews though i also do have a letterboxd account that i attempt to be active on. thanks for reading and lmk if you have any questions!! 🫶🫶🌿🌿

[ngedaily]

god. last night when my friend said he finished nge and listened to me rant for a whole hour about character analyses and metaphors in the cinematography etc etc . it hit me that maybe running a nge blog since middle school has driven me insane

[asurei-nisshoku]

neon genesis evangelion, episode 22: don't be (1996, dir. akira takamura)

[satorikun]

Zack Snyder Justice League: The Review

Perjuangan para fans yang meng-campaign #ReleaseTheSnyderCut akhirnya terbayar lunas, bahkan jauh melebihi ekspektasi. Cerita jauh lebih solid daripada versi 2017, karakterisasi yang digali lebih deep dan kompleks, hingga adegan aksi yang keliatan lebih EPIC didukung score dari Junkie XL yang bener2 ngasih nyawa di film ini ketimbang Danny Elfman untuk versi 2017 yang forgetable. (+) 1. Kedalaman cerita "asli" yang diramu Zack Snyder disini mampu menjembatani antara film2 sebelumnya (MoS & BvS) dan menjadikan narasi film ini lebih "nyambung" ke pondasi yang sudah dibuat Zack untuk DCCU sejak Man Of Steel. Kebangkitan Mother Box akibat resonansi suara kematian Superman yang terdengar di seluruh lapisan bumi menurutku cukup genius untuk sebuah opening garis cerita film ini kebelakang. Meskipun lowkey versi 2017 kerasa Zack banget openingnya, tapi malah itu hasil buatan Whedon. Di versi 2017, ada satu adegan pengemis dengan tulisan "I Tried" apakah ini mungkin sebenarnya maksud terpendam yang ingin disampaikan Whedon kala itu karena dia telah "berusaha" entah karena visi kreatifnya atau ada tekanan besar dari studio sehingga menghasilkan versi JL 2017 yang seperti itu. 

Durasi 4 Jam sangat tidak terasa menjemukan, karena kita seperti membaca novel yang terdiri dari 6 Chapter dan di setiap chapter Zack memberikan progress untuk pengembangan ceritanya, ada opening-plot-cliffhanger ending. Meskipun tidak ditonton full 4 jam pun, kita masih bisa meng-cut per chapter seperti nonton tv series tanpa menghilangkan sensasinya. Fuckin Genius. Tapi aku menyelesaikan langsung 4 jam tanpa jeda demi ultimate experience, asli gak kerasa duduk 4 jam dan alhamdulilah ngga kerasa pengen pipis LOL. 2. Karakterisasi. Di versi 2017, kita tidak pernah diperlihatkan kedalaman cerita yang mendukung motivasi masing2 karakter disini. Terutama Cyborg dan Flash yang di cut abis2an, padahal dua karakter ini punya peran sangat penting di dalam cerita. Bahkan Zack mengatakan Cyborg adalah "heart of this movie" and its tru! Hubungan Silas Stone dan Victor (Cyborg) digambarkan dengan cukup detail dan menjadi fondasi Cyborg untuk bergabung dengan League dan berkorban untuk mereka pada akhirnya. Aku sedikit tear up ketika Silas terbunuh demi meng-overheat motherbox di depan Victor, dan ini me-recall ke adegan pertandingan rugby yg akhirnya menewaskan istrinya dan membuat Silas merasa "He had to sacrifice this for Victor" that is such strong scene. Hubungan ayah-anak juga kembali muncul di karakter Barry Allen/Flash yang berjuang mati2an nyari kerja demi kuliah untuk membebaskan ayahnya dari penjara yang dituduh membunuh ibunya aka Nora Allen. That little detail is something that I appreciate it here (juga adegan kecil waktu dia menyelamatkan Iris West, that's such a great intro for Barry OMG T^T). Karakter Aquaman juga diperlihatkan lebih detil dengan hadirnya Vulko yang menceritakan tentang Mother Box yang diincar mahluk asing dan memberikan Armor serta Trident Ibunya yang menjadi landasan dia akhirnya join the League setelah sebelumnya menolak tawaran Bruce.Untuk Superman, Batman, dan Wonder Woman semuanya mendapat porsinya masing2 dengan pas, (terutama Wonder Woman yang keliatan warrior sejati) dengan tambahan sedikit adegan Diana (WW) mempelajari tentang Mother Box untuk selanjutnya ia ceritakan ke Bruce dan menghasilkan suatu adegan epic "History lesson" dengan kemunculan Uxas (Darkseid remaja).

Me Rin Ding.

Sttepenwolf pun diberi "ruang" untuk menjelaskan motivasinya mencari motherbox dan hubungannya dengan Darkseid yang tidak begitu akur karena dia harus membayar kesalahan masa lalu dengan meng-conquer 50.000 dunia dan mencari Anti-Life. Dengan design original-nya yang melanjutkan dari after credit BvS, Sttepenwolf tampil sangar dan sangat buas, berbeda jauh dengan apa yang Whedon tampilkan (karena mungkin terkait rating R yang diemban film ini ya) 3. Special Effect dan Action sequence. Jujur semenjak Man Of Steel, Zack memperlihatkan adegan aksi yang brutal dan bak main game Dragon Ball itu, menjadikan standar baru (menurutku) di dunia superheroan, dan ini menjadikan DCCU sangat berbeda dengan MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Di film ini Zack seperti all out abis2an! Dihajar dengan visual2 cantik dan cinematography kelas kakap dengan tone yang sama dengan MoS dan BvS menjadikan setiap frame aksi disini bisa dicapture buat wallpaper.

Meskipun perlu diakui untuk beberapa scene ada CGI yang cukup kasar tapi masih bisa dimaklumi karena pengerjaannya juga terbilang sedikit rush (kurang lebih 7 bulanan). Action Sequence terbaik disini adalah adegan Climax nya yang sangat memuaskan, ketika the League gagal memisahkan motherbox dan The Flash masuk ke speed-force untuk kembali ke masa lalu, FUUUUCK. Pure Epicness dan so INTENSE (deg-degan parahh). Mungkin menjadi salah satu adegan yang terbaik untuk comicbook movie bersanding dengan Avengers. (-) Epilogue Dengan segala aspek positif dari awal hingga akhir di film ini, menurutku ada beberapa hal yang sedikit mengganjal untuk film ini. Untuk scene Epilogue (Lex-Deathstroke, Batman Knightmare, Bruce-Martian Manhunter) aku merasa adegan tersebut seperti "keluar jalur" dari film ini sendiri. Menurutku untuk scene Lex-DS dan Bruce-Martian lebih bagus dibuat after credit atau mid-credit daripada Epilogue (yang bagusnya berhenti ketika superman terbang). Scene Knightmare bisa dimasukkan di pertengahan film sebelum adegan Bruce bercerita tentang kemunculan Flash di BvS dan Cyborg bisa menambahkan cerita tersebut karena sebelumnya dia juga mendapat premonition yang sama (kematian Diana dan Arthur, dan Invasi Darkseid) di adegan pembangkitan Superman. Kudos buat Jared Leto yang sekali lagi tampil begitu memuaskan sebagai Joker, dan dialognya dengan Joker terasa sangat intense di adegan ini dengan menyinggung kematian Boy Wonder aka Robin! 

Minor Bad CGI Seperti yang sudah aku singgung sebelumnya, beberapa CGI momon-nya memang terlihat kasar. Meskipun Darkseid terlihat sudah sangat sangar (that Omega beam ughh /cheffkiss), aku masih belum bisa move-on dari photo-realistic CGI Thanos di Avengers yang begitu realistis dengan struktur muka yang mirip dengan aktornya yaitu Josh Brolin. Mungkin dengan budget lebih besar dan waktu pengerjaan yang lebih lama aku yakin bakal jauh jauh lebih bagus lagi di JL 2 (kalo jadiii LOL) Udah itu aja ! Asli ga abis pikir WB bisa-bisanya nge approve versi 2017 yang ancur itu dengan asumsi bakal lebih banyak untung karena filmya cuma jadi dua jem kurang. Visi Snyder akan dunia superhero DCCU yang sarat makna mythology dewa2 kayaknya tidak menarik bagi WB yang mengingkan fun-cheesy-action layaknya Marvel. Hero-heronya aja OP mampus boss masak disuruh ngurus penjahat kelas teri (uhuk WW84). Akhir kata

#RestoreTheSnyderVerse

[spaceoperetta]

how abouts some utena

there is a lot that I like about Utena, the epitome of ‘I didn’t know where this was going but I SURE WASN’T EXPECTING THIS’ 90s anime. (This is because I knew where NGE was going because culture)

the direction/cinematography/whatever you call it in anime is really fucking good. Sure, there’s stock footage, but with that there’s also plenty of genuinely good and interesting framing. 

god I feel like whenever I talk about Utena, I usually bring up episode 30/The Barefoot Girl because when I started the first episode of the show I wouldn’t have fucking dreamed that the 30th episode would just be Utena trying (and failing) to navigate her feelings towards the FLASHING RED LIGHT DANGER MAN that she’s been manipulated toward. The candelabra? stunning. The scene in the car between her and Akio where he takes off her shoe? tense like nothing else god i was YELLING but jesus it’s captivating. god I feel bad for going straight to the sexual DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON but honestly it just left that much of an impression on me it was that good

surreal as it is, I feel like it honestly captures the feeling of adolescence better than any other anime I’ve watched. 

[annocinema]

This is a symmetrical composition from Shin Godzilla, with fairly strong symmetry coming from Anno, who tends to not like his symmetrical compositions being overly so. As such, you'll see him add various elements to reduce the symmetry, such as the location text, distinct trees on the left and right, and the differing stances of the characters' suitcases. The clock tower also faces slightly askew to the camera. Showing a composition that is too symmetrical reduces realism, which is why Anno smartly avoids it. This composition also features a frame around the characters, and uses the rule of thirds for placement, making the shot resemble three stripes - one stripe for the trees, one stripe for the characters, and one stripe for the steps. Seeing this shot reminded me of a shot in NGE, when Fuyutsuki talks to Yui on a sunny day under a tree (Episode 21). Both Shin Godzilla and NGE have a predominantly industrial setting, and most conversations are held indoors. When we do get an outdoor scene, it's largely reserved for that of battle. However, both works took a break to show us a conversation on a sunny day under the trees, and allowed us to take a breather and get more emotionally invested in the beautiful world under threat. From #shingodzilla. But that's just what I see. What do you see in this composition? Leave a comment, and share this post with friends who would appreciate content like this! #Hideakianno #庵野秀明 #evangelion #neongenesisevangelion #gainax #director #composition #photography #cinematographer #cinematography #dop #cinema #cinephile #cinephilecommunity #otaku #manga #anime #アニメ #japan #japanese #japanesecinema #japanesetv #tvshow #tokusatsu #eiga #映画 #テレビ #filmmaker (at sa3aat.com)

[dbs30]

[REVIEW] K-drama The Heirs

I KNOW THERE ARE TONS OF REVIEWS OUT THERE ALREADY. But I can’t help myself not to write my own thoughts about this drama just bcs I want to. So please bear with me :)

Oke, pengakuan. Aku nonton drama ini awalnya semata-mata karena Lee Min Ho. Aku tau drama ini booming banget dan kayaknya semua pecinta drama udah pernah nonton ini. I’m not a fan of kdrama, honestly. Tapi berhubung udah suka sama tampangnya Lee Min Ho, akhirnya aku tonton deh. Despite being a fan of Min Ho, I want to write an honest review.

1. THE PLOT (6/10)

Cerita kisah cinta cheesy anak konglomerat Jeguk Grup bernama Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho) yang diabaikan kakak & papanya karena dia anak ilegal hasil perselingkuhan. Jadi si Kim Tan ini dilempar ke LA dan dibiarkan sekolah disana. Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye) dari keluarga miskin yang punya ibu tuna rungu. Ibunya kerja di rumah si Kim Tan sebagai asisten rumah tangga. So one day, Eun Sang pergi ke LA untuk nemuin kakaknya yang surprisingly nggak punya kehidupan yang layak di LA. After a tons of incidents, she stumbled upon Kim Tan dan tinggal di rumah cowok itu karena paspornya ditahan polisi karena temennya si Kim Tan. After that, Kim Tan starts developing feelings for Cha Eun Sang and decided to go back in Korea.

Their relationship is getting complicated bcs Kim Tan supposed to be married with someone on his level. Would their complicated relationship works after all? Intinya sih cerita klise cowok tajir vs cewek miskin. 

2. CHARACTER (9/10)

Kim Tan is a jerk yet so lovable. Sejujurnya yang bikin aku betah nonton drama ini sampe ending adalah karena karakternya si Kim Tan. Kenapa?

Well, pertama he never takes no for an answer. Mulai dari cara dapetin nomor hp Cha Eun Sang sampe pas nembak pun sebenernya rada maksa. Kedua, he’s also an overly jealous type of boyfriend. Walaupun menyebalkan sih terkadang, but I kinda love his protective side too. 

Lee Min Ho. Beach. Topless. Enough reason for me to continue on watching more episode! 

Si Kim Tan ini lovable banget karena dia suka jahil tapi juga serius. I just love him being stubborn when it comes to Cha Eun Sang. He does everything he could to protect her.

Yes! Yes!

Karakternya Cha Eun Sang hmm... idk. I like her, but at the same time I hate her too! She’s too stubborn and a hardworking person. Tapi karena si Cha Eun Sang ini selalu nolak Kim Tan, cerita drama ini jadi cukup seru sih.

3. CHEMISTRY (9.5/10)

I ship them both so much that I wish their relationship off screen too! I think Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye nailed the emotions. Mulai dari ketawa ngakak liat kelakuan Kim Tan, gemes sendiri sama Eun Sang yang suka-tapi-nggak-mau sama Kim Tan, sampe rasanya capek sendiri nonton hubungan mereka naik turun 20 episode. 

Some of the scenes and dialogues sure are cheesy (I’m not gonna lie) bahkan kadang dalam hati setiap ada adegan romantisnya, aku suka membatin dalam hati “untung yang jadi Kim Tan si Lee Min Ho, kalo engga.....” HAHAHAHA but seriously, I love the way they act as a couple. 

MY GAWD KIM TAN, WHY U SO GORGEOUS? Pusing w.

My favorite episode of whole drama is when they were driving in LA and got lost. 

THAT GAZE

4. SOUNDTRACK (7/10)

Some scenes are ruined bcs of theme song. I’m not saying the song is bad (bcs I actually listen to Moment by Changmin in full version and it’s good). But the whole mood is just ruined by the excessive backsound song ‘Love is the momeeeeent’ sorry to say. Ada adegan-adegan yang seharusnya sedih, karena lagu itu feelingnya hilang. Anehnya, bawaannya aku jadi pengen ikutan nyanyi tiap kali lagu ini muncul. Nyebelin ga sih? 

But some songs are eargasm. Sejauh ini yang paling aku suka adalah lagu-lagu dari The Big Baby Driver. Mereka menyanyikan lagu dalam bahasa inggris, bukan bahasa korea. Dan nadanya juga soothing banget. 

Terus, ada satu lagu yang selalu muncul pas adegan sedihnya Kim Tan & Cha Eun Sang. Awalnya aku ga suka lagu itu, tapi pas dengerin full dari awal sampe akhir kok suka ya? Apalagi setelah nonton episode 16, well you will understand what I mean if you finally watch The Heirs.

Recommmendation : What We Used To - Big Baby Driver, Some Other Day - Big Baby Driver, Crying Again - Moon Myung Jin.

5. CINEMATOGRAPHY (7/10)

My eyes only stares to Lee Min Ho and the beach in LA when he surfes like a pro HAHAHAHAHAHA. Karena drama ini syutingnya di Korea, jadi ya... menurutku biasa aja. Tapi aku suka sih pemandangan di 3 episode awal since both Kim Tan & Cha Eun Sang are wandering around the city.

6. SKINSHIP (8/10)

3 times of kiss scene, but a hot one in episode 16. Usually I would expect the typical Asian kiss scene where my laptop just froze to death for a split second lol but surprisingly…………

PARK SHIN HYE WHY U SO LUCKY???!!!!

Hence, I still do like the skinship in this drama. It amounts just as I expected it would. 

REASONS TO WATCH THIS DRAMA

First of all, guys. It’s Lee Min Ho! I would just blindly watch his drama without even think. Di episode awal-awal, aku cukup suka dengan jalan ceritanya, well minimal 3 episode awal. Masuk episode 5 pas balik ke Korea, aku sedikit bosen karena yah.. typical Asian drama banget. I can’t help myself untuk lagi-lagi sedikit kecewa karena ceritanya agak mirip sama BBF (which is kind of annoying).

Tapi masuk episode 8, udah mulai suka karena cara Kim Tan pdkt, nembak, sampe akhirnya jadian sama Cha Eun Sang is beyond expectation. Si Kam Tan ini tipe cowok yang doyan maksa, tapi menyenangkan (DOES IT MAKES ANY SENSE?!) belum lagi cinta segitiga mereka sama Choi Young Do makes this drama lit. Kudos to Kim Woo Bin yang meranin karakter Choi Young Do dengan sangat baik sekaligus menyebalkan! Jadi kisahnya si Kim Tan dan Cha Eun Sang ini tipe romance ala anak SMA sih tapi kayak ‘cinta anak SMA yang patut dipertahankan’ WHAT DID I JUST SAY? HAHAHA anw ya begitu.

Perjuangannya si Kim Tan ini sih yang bikin aku head over heels sama drama ini walaupun ceritanya kacangan. 

Kedua, side cast-nya nggak jelek-jelek amat dan sedikit oplasnya. Salah satu alesan aku males nonton drakor kadang karena males ngeliat artis/aktornya going through a plastic surgery, but this one is not. Lee Bo Na & Chan Young is also the best sidekick couple in kdrama by far. Ya kalo suka sama artis/aktor Korea yang nge-hype The Heirs emang surga mata banget sih.

Ketiga, the whole playful relationship is the strongest point. Walaupun menyebalkan, aku suka karakter Choi Young Do. He’s both fire and water at the same time. Selain itu, yang paling membekas di drama ini adegan nangis si Kim Tan di episode 16. SHIT. Onion was around when I watched this. I thought The Heirs was all about playful relationship. It was fun and games until I hit episode 16-18. 

Now I know the reason why Lee Min Ho receives an award for this drama. The crying scene is no joke. He’s so good in here!

I don’t know why I love this scene. After Eun Sang is bullied in school, he’s watching over her until the movie is over. 

And I love every time Eun Sang smacked Kim Tan HAHAHA

So, would this drama worth to watch? YES. 

You will feel the emotion ruin your best day after episode 16 :))))

[hentaiibaka]

[hanifahbudiman]

Review film : Joker, a star is born, to all the boys 2

Did I ever tell you dat I love watching movies?

Genres what I like are romance (of course), sci-fi, adventure, animation, drama, action, some biography. No horor please.

Setiap nonton selain nikmatin jalan ceritanya suka ngamatin kualitas pengambilan gambarnya or we called cinematography, chemistry paling utama, dan hal-hal lain.

Sebenernya kurang suka memberikan komentar karena takut bukan memberikan masukan berbobot justru cuman gibberish. Tapi untuk kali ini mau berbagi aja apa yang sudah di tonton selama di rumah aja.

Dimulai kuy,

JOKER, awalnya nggak mau nonton film ini karena “katanya psikolog” berdampak pada kesehatan jiwa. Pas ini film booming banget pas juga aku ngerasa unstable mentality so, aku mutusin untuk nggak nonton. Yah, you know stigma si Joker yang jadi korban bully masyarakat, dan segala macem masalahnya bisa jadi pembenaran mereka yang merasa senasib dengan Joker. Sepanjang nonton aku nunggu di titik mana dia akan pakai itu pistol dan mulai jadi jahat. Karena dengan segitu banyak masalah dan beban dipikul batas kayak apa yang dia ngerasa udah nggak kuat. Nah, ini bisa diperhatiin ke diri kita masing-masing apa kita tetap kuat dengan semua masalah dan beban yang kita pikul. Apa yang bikin kita kuat, nggak narik pelatuk, nggak nyari tali, nggak cari benda tajam, nggak nyari coping mengarah ke self harassment, dan hal yang mengarah ke nggak sehat mental. Dan, pesan yang harus tetap dipegang selama dan sesudah nonton film ini yaitu : nggak semua keburukan dibalas dengan keburukan; diperlakukan tidak manusiawi tidak menjadikan kita bukan manusia. Konsep film ini terlalu dark kalau buat aku pribadi (mungkin aku nggak cocok sama DC yaa). Aku nggak paham kenapa ibunya Joker yang udah jelas sakit jiwa masih bisa hidup sama Joker, kalau kita bayangin seandainya Joker tumbuh di lingkungan yang lebih sehat bisa aja Joker punya hidup yang lebih indah. Menjadi orang baik atau orang jahat itu keputusan diri sendiri, sedangkan pengaruh perbuatan orang lain bisa jadi pemicu tapi tetap balik ke pribadi masing-masing. So, please I am begging you jangan berprinsip “orang jahat adalah orang baik yang tersakiti”. Quote fenomenal si Joker I used to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realize, it’s a comedy. Rate untuk film ini 8/10 salut sama aktingnya om Joaquin.

A STAR IS BORN. I super love with all the song. Selalu masuk playlist-ku Shallow, I’ll never love again, Alway remember us this way. Nggak banyak lagu Lady Gaga yang aku suka, tapi lagu-lagu ini mantab banget liriknya dan ngena (sampai kepikiran nulis lirik I’ll never love again buat orang yang aku cintai nantinya, ceilahhh). Di lirik I’ll never love again udah ketauan ya kalau mereka ngga happy ending dan aku super benci sama ending film yang pemeran utamanya nggak bersatu. Jadi sama kayak Joker aku memutuskan untuk nggak nonton (pada awalnya). Tapi tulung om Bradley ganteng banget. Dari awal nonton sampai akhir lebih banyak sedih dan bingung daripada bahagianya. Dari awal karakter Jack ini nggak sehat, dia punya masalah (alcoholic, drug user, dsb) yang nggak ada penyelesaian sampai ending sampai dia mutusin buat gantung diri (sempat rehab tapi ah udahlah). Dan reaksi aku, “kok gitu?” Ya emang sih karir dia mulai turun, dia mempermalukan istrinya didepan umum, pernah nyoba bunuh diri pas kecil, tapi hey kamu udah mulai bahagia setelah ketemu si Ally. Lagi-lagi mental illness itu nggak bisa di sepele-in guys. Sepanjang film ini ngegambarin dunia dibalik panggung dan aku percaya kenyataannya emang gitu, se-gelap itu. Sebenarnya suka karakter Jack yang sweet ke Ally, dan mungkin alasan dia bunuh diri karena nggak mau jadi beban buat istrinya. Tapi ah tetap aja nggak setuju sama keputusan dia. Rate film ini 7,8/10 salut sama suara om Bradley, please dia juga producer-nya lho.

TO ALL THE BOYS 2: PS. I STILL LOVE YOU. Harus nonton yang pertama banget. Udah nggak keitung aku nonton film itu berapa kali, karena SESUKA ITU. Yah emang dasarnya head over heels sama romance yaa, tapi ini film romance yang unik, lucu, dan cerita-in first love so it’s so worth to watch. Suka banget sama karakter Lara Jean karena itu ngegambarin kebanyakan cewek pas suka sama orang (ngebayangin ngobrol sama cowok yang ditaksir, nulis surat cinta tapi nggak berani ngirim, dsb). Kalo disuruh pilih suka yang mana, sadly lebih suka yang pertama. Di kedua ini aku jadi rada bingung sama karakter Peter, di film pertama kan kayak dia type of what we’ve dreaming for, tapi masa ngajak nge-date ditempat yang sama kayak pas sama mantannya, kek kurang “dreamy” aja. Karakter Lara Jean juga yang sempet goyah pas suratnya dibalas John Ambrose, dan pas dia minder sama si mantan dan lebih milih mundur itu gimana. Dan karena mereka udah pacaran, bakal mikir “mau masalah apalagi”. Konfliknya lumayan sih, cuman berpusat sama pemikiran si Lara Jean aja. Overall masih kurang greget dibandingkan yang pertama, tapi sisi baiknya Lara Jean baikan sama si mantan Peter yang dulunya mereka sahabatan. Udahlah aku bersyukur fillm ini (terutama yang pertama) sudah membuat saya kesensem sama Noah Centineo. Rating film ini 7,5/10.

So, thats it. Akan saya lanjutkan di review film selanjutnya (keburu lupa woii aku nonton apa aja). Stay at home, jangan lupa cuci tangan.